In May 1291, exactly 710 years ago, the last of the Crusaders were thrown from the sea-wall ofAcre into the sea. Yitzhak Shamir might have said: “The Muslims are the same Muslims, theCrusaders are the same Crusaders and the sea is the same sea.”* Paraphrasing Shamir’s famous saying: “The Arabs are the same Arabs, the … Read more
I was giving a lecture last week to a group of Palestinian intellectuals and foreign diplomatsin East Jerusalem, when a Palestinian professor asked: “Do you think that a second Nakba ispossible?” I was going to answer with a categorical “No”. But suddenly I was seized by doubt: Was I lying tohim? Was I lying to … Read more
(Draft proposal for Israeli-Palestinian Discussion) Version 7 / 13.5.01 Between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Representative of the Palestinian People. Whereas both parties wish to end the historical conflict between them, establish peace and bring about a historical conciliation between the two nations, And whereas both parties wish to base … Read more
or: The Height of Chutzpah “Chutzpah” is a Jewish word. It cannot be accurately translated. Some render it asbrazenness, gall. In many languages, the word is used in its original Hebrew’Yiddish form. The leaders of the Zionist Organization of America recently reached the very height ofChutzpah, when they demanded that the US Government abstain from … Read more
“An ambassador is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country,” said the Britishstatesman, Sir Henry Wotton, some 400 years ago. Shimon Peres is a perfect ambassador and an honorable man (as in the speech by Marc Anthonyabout the murderers of Caesar in Shakespeare’s play: “And they are all, all … Read more
Report of Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee April 30, 2001 Suleyman Demirel 9th President of the Republic of Turkey Thorbjoern Jagland Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway George J. Mitchell, Chairman Former Member of the United States Senate Javier Solana High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Union Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, April … Read more
“Jurassic Park” is one of Steven Spielberg’s immensely successful kitsch-movies. If hewants to produce a sequel, something like “Jurassic Park II”, he should come to Israel. In the original film, a group of scientists succeeded in resurrecting the dinosaurs bycloning. They intended to create an amusement park where people could admire the terriblelizards (that, by … Read more
“People, Atten-tion!!!” The voice comes from thousands of loudspeakers covering the whole country: “Fourth glass, d-r-i-n-k!” “Attention – m-o-u-r-n!” “At ease – r-e-j-o-i-c-e!” There are no loudspeakers in reality. No such orders, either. This is not the Soviet Union.What the hell, here we have democracy! Everyone can do what he bloody well wants! Provided, ofcourse, … Read more
an official request to annul the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Mr. Shimon Peres. Tel-Aviv, April 9, 2001 Mr. Geir Lundestad, Ph. D. Director, Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Oslo. Dear Sir, On behalf of Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc, I hereby submit an official request to annulthe Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Mr. Shimon … Read more
Years ago a French anti-Semite asked to meet my friend Issam Sartawi, Yasser Arafat’s specialemissary in Paris. He offered him the help of the anti-Semites in the fight against Israel.Sartawi interrupted him: “Sir,” he said, “Take your papers and get out!” “The guy disgusted me,” he said when he told me about it the next … Read more